Quote:
Originally Posted by desertgrandma
Heres my concern.
Yes, the "swine flu" cases are dying down, and the entire episode is being downplayed. Schools are being criticized for overreacting and closing. Perhaps they shouldn't have closed, I don't know. We are being told that the media has overplayed this, and we have way more deaths years from regular flu, so why worry? This is all true.
However, the great pandemic of 1918 started in the spring of 1918, came back with a vengeance in the late fall of 1918, and again in the spring of 1919. Here is a link to an interesting article.
http://1918.pandemicflu.gov/the_pandemic/01.htm
IF this particular strain should mutate and re-visit us this fall, we may be in for a bumpy ride.
Hopefully, the shots being developed now for this strain will work for the next. |
This is true.
In general, the schools didn't make the decisions to close on their own. They were advised and given recommendations of what should be done by health organizations. So I couldn't say the
schools overreacted. It's my understanding (in N. TX) that the schools originally just began to sterilize and sanitize all school surfaces and then it was recommended they close.
It is also my understanding, from what I've heard reported, that there was a concern that if this mild strain of Swine Flu was not allowed to run it's course
now through the general population, that come next flu season whether or not the strain mutates, few would have been exposed and there would be little or no naturally immunity built up to fight it or ward it off. And that in itself might create another 1918-like incident. In other words, better to allow a mild strain loose (now that they know it's mild) to build up immunity throughout the populace, than to "cry wolf" now and let the nastier bugger run rampant and get you later.
And like you say, they're already working on a vaccine for it, so maybe all will be well in the end after all.